Mistresses of the Elements
by CelticStar87
Summary: Will need to come back to writing a decent Summary. Part one of "The Elements Trilogy"
1. Prologue

**Mistresses of the Elements: Prologue**

"I have called you here because of the warning message I have just received." Lord Liber stood at the strategy table. He relaxed a little as he looked around the table. The other Lords and Lady, along with their apprentices and Master Argyos, had gathered.

"Warning?" Sir Bane's eyes grew wide. "What kind of warning, Liber?" The worry could be seen on everyone's face.

"I have received word that we have been targeted. Should we refuse to obey the demands of 'The One' we will surely be facing a tough war." Liber sighed. He looked at his apprentice, Blue Bruin, and his fear was only mirrored. The normally happy-go-lucky, unofficial, court jester was as solem as his friends in the room.

"Demands?" Lady Dt spoke up. Wise beyond her years, Dt had been put in charge of the kingdom's Gemstone dragons and the powerful-but wild-Kairos. "What kind of demands are we looking at?"

"They can't be easy if Liber has called us." Sir Nate now spoke. Though he was gentle in nature, he would do whatever it took to protect the peace of the kingdom. Having preferred to stay out of the previous war, Nate had been an asset when it came to strategy and training the dragons. Now, it looked as though he would have no choice but to fight.

Liber unrolled the scroll. As he glanced over the list of demands he threw his fist on top of it. "We cannot, without giving up our peoples' freedom and peace, give in to these demands! We must prepare for battle."

"If I may?" Master Argyos, Keeper of Knowledge, spoke up. Liber had almost forgotten he had called the scholar. Argyos was generally quiet and preferred to stay in the Dragon Library learning all he could about their kingdom's history and the prophecies that had been declared. "We can't not win this war..." He held up his hand to stop those who would protest. "We can't not win this war unless we can find the 'Mistresses of the Elements' and their Generals."

"'Mistresses of the Elements'?" Essiw and Halo asked in unison.

"Are Dt's powers not enough?" Halo continued. Bane's young apprentice remembered stories about how Dt could control all eight of the basic elements.

Dt chuckled a little. "Halo, it is true I can control all eight of the basic elements... but this war would be too much for me. I can no longer control each element at the same time, nor can I control even one element for very long. Do not be mistaken, I am still very powerful, as I am the only one who can control the eight elements. And I will do whatever it takes to protect our kingdom and our people."

"Please, Master Argyos, explain who the 'Mistresses of the Elements' are. I vaguely remember hearing the prophecy many years ago as a child." Sir Bane invited the "Professor" to speak about the prophecy and what needed to be done to find them.

Arygos cleared his throat before speaking. "There are four 'Mistresses,' in truth, they are Enchantresses who can control two elements each. They are unique for they control the opposite elements. One controls Air and Earth, one controls Water and Lightning, one controls Plant and Metal, and the last controls Fire and Cold..."

"How is that even possible?" Essiw thought out loud, only to be silenced by a look from Sir Nate.

"For everyone else, it is not, young Essiw. But for these four women... they are powerful enough to harness the two elements at the same time." Argyos took a deep breath before continuing. "These women will come from the four islands and will probably live on the outskirts of the village."

"How will we know if we've found the right one?" Bane asked. They were going to need know the signs to look for.

"One sign is that they will be living on the outskirts of the village. They may live alone; they may not. You will know you have found the right person when you listen to your instincts. The biggest sign will be that they take care of the elusive Opposite hybrids. The most obvious will be that their hair is the color of one element and their eyes are the color of the other." Gasps erupted around the room. No one, not even Dt, is able to care for the Opposite hybrids. "This quest will be long, but it must be taken if there is to be any hope for our kingdom." Argyos finished.

Liber waited a few moments for the information and the urgency to sink in. "This quest is of the utmost importance. Apprentices, you will remain on your islands while Sir Nate, Sir Bane, and myself search for the 'Mistresses of the Elements'." The apprentices nodded in understanding and then made their way to their respective islands. Only the Lords, Dt, and Argyos remained in the room.

"There are three of us and four 'Mistresses'. How are we to divide this?" Nate looked between Liber and Bane.

"Sir Nate, you will travel to the Island of Air and Earth. Sir Bane, you will travel to the Island of Fire and Cold. I will take the remaining two: the Island of Water and Lightning and the Island of Plant and Metal." Liber replied. He knew that taking on the task of finding two of the four Mistresses was going to be tough. "Once I find one, I will send for Blue and he will escort her back here. Report back here as soon as you find the Mistresses and their Generals."

Dt laid twelve small, velvet bags on the table. "These necklaces will mark their status." She handed Nate and Bane one white bag each, while Liber was given two. "The white dragons are for the Mistresses. When they use their powers-magic-the dragon will glow. When they wear them for the first time, the dragon will shine like the sun. That will seal their destiny."

Argyos handed the brown and purple bags to Nate. "Sir Nate, the brown is for the General of Earth. It represents warmth and strength. A great defense in the battle for good. The purple is for the General of Air. It represents majesty and purity. A powerful defense in the battle for good."

"Lord Liber, the blue is for the General of Water. It represents tranquility and perseverance. A wonderful defense in the battle for good. The yellow is for the General of Lightning. It represents energy and hope. A unifying defense in the battle for good." Dt handed Liber the two bags.

"Lord Liber, the green is for the General of Plant. It represents life and wisdom. A mighty force in the battle for good. The orange is for the General of Metal. It represents endurance and fortitude. An everlasting force in the battle for good." Argyos handed the two bags to Liber as Dt waited.

She took a deep breath and looked at Bane. "Lastly, Sir Bane, the red is for the General of Fire. It represents heart and courage. An eternal force in the battle for good. The pale blue is for the General of Cold. It represents caution and peace. A chilling force in the battle for good." The three Lords looked at the bags in front of them and then at each other. The weight of the world seemingly resting on their shoulders.

"We will accept the tasks laid before us. For the security of the people, for the hope of future peace in the kingdom." Nate stood tall; his shoulders erect. He was ready to bare the weight of the world... as long as his friends were by his side. Liber and Bane nodded in agreement.

"There is one more thing." Master Argyos did not want to bring this up earlier; he saw no point in worrying the apprentices. "The most important thing, apart from finding the Mistresses of the Elements, is to keep the magic crystals protected. You all know, that without the crystals, the magic that keeps the islands afloat will fail. If the magic fails, the islands fall..."

"The apprentices and myself will protect the crystals until your return. Now go, with the power of the elements... with the hope of our people." Dt and Argyos stood outside the castle and the Lords took off on their journeys.


	2. Mistress of Earth and Air

**The Mistress of Earth and Air**

"Wiz, shouldn't you already be out with the dragons?" Latias shook her head as the keeper of the Air dragons stumbled into the room for a late breakfast.

"Yeah, yeah... I'm getting there." Wiz murmured. "I didn't sleep well last night."

"Right, if you stopped sneaking out to see Witch, you'd sleep better." Echo, the keeper of the Earth dragons, teased. "I have been out taking care of my dragons already. Are you heading out soon, Lati?" He looked at the woman. The three had been adopted by a couple who had lived on the outskirts of town. Even though Latias, Echo, and Wiz were not related in any way, the couple had taken in all three knowing that there was something special about them.

"Yes, Kepi and the others will not be happy if I'm not out there soon." Latias' purple eyes shifted between Echo and Wiz. "And I'm sure, Avira is going to have your head, Wiz, if you don't get moving."

"Yes, I know... that Air dragon." Wiz shook his head, grabbed an apple and headed out to the garden.

"I don't know about him some days." Latias laughed a little. Wiz was, at times, a little scatter-brained. "Don't even say a word, Echo."

"I was just..." He hung his head. "Okay, I won't. Will you be back for supper today?"

"Probably, I really don't need to stay out so long today. London is a bit hard to reel back in though. Once she gets to playing with Beijing and Athens..." Lati smoothed out her brown hair before grabbing a basket and heading to the garden. As she was picking some dragon fruit, the three baby Olympus dragons came bouncing around the corner of the house.

"I'm taking Athens with me today." Echo came out of the house and leaned against the side. "Wiz really should be caring for Beijing... I mean the Silver Olympus chose him." He mutter something under his breath. To Latias is sounded much like "I don't see why..."

"Echo, dragons choose who they want for particular reasons. Do I even want to know why the Silver Olympus chose Wiz and the Bronze Olympus chose you? Not really." Latias stood and looked at her baby Gold Olympus as she thought back to the day they had found the remarkable eggs. They'd be walking along a path near the edge of the desert. Echo had decided to venture a little further into the desert than Latias and Wiz. In doing so, he stumbled over three rocks-or so he had thought at first. Wiz, not wanting to step foot in the arid place, stood as far from the edge as he could, but when he saw Echo carrying three eggs he got closer.

"If I hadn't tripped over those eggs that day..." Echo had been thinking about that day too. "Come along, Athens, you can tease Demeter again today." Latias laughed and could have sworn Athens grinned.

"Beijing, you should go with Wiz when he leaves. I'm sure Avira could use a good chase." Latias said and the Silver Olympus just looked at her. "Today you can come with London and I, but tomorrow you need to start going with Wiz... you might even keep him out of trouble." She and the two dragons headed over towards the area where the wind and the desert touched.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for a place to rest for the night." A stranger approached Wiz as he was on his way home from taking care of the Air dragons. Wiz's eyes narrowed but seeing no threat from this man, he shrugged and motioned for him to follow.

"It's not much, but I'm sure Lati and Echo won't mind a visitor for one night." Wiz stated as they neared the cottage. As soon as he came within feet of the door he was knocked on his feet by a very excited Silver Olympus dragon. "Haha, it's good to see you too, Beijing."

"You wouldn't miss her so much, Wiz, if you'd take her with you." Echo said as he came around the corner. "Who's this?" He looked at the stranger standing near the house.

"I am but a weary traveler seeking a place to rest for the night." The man answered before Wiz had the chance.

"Hmmm... I'm not sure Lati will be thrilled with unexpected company, but meh." Echo entered the cottage followed by Athens, Beijing, Wiz, and the traveler.

"Where is she anyways? I thought she'd be back by now. She said she'd be home to cook supper."

"No, I said that I'd be home for supper. There's a difference, Wiz." Latias walked into the cottage with London close on her heels. "Kepi wasn't exactly willing to let me walk home, but he got distracted and detoured." She shook her head. "Sandstorm dragons are easily distracted, I've noticed." She plopped into a chair with a sigh.

"Sandstorm dragons? Oh my." Latias hadn't noticed the stranger until he spoke. The last part came as a whisper more to himself than to the others.

"Holy...!" She jumped a little. "Who the heck are you? And what are you doing in my house?" She turned her glare on Wiz and Echo.

"Don't look at me, Lati, Wiz brought home the stray, not me." Echo said before starting supper.

"My apologies, Miss, but I've been traveling for a while and needed a place to rest for the night. If I am not welcomed then please point me in the direction of the nearest Inn." Latias noticed his silver eyes now. Heat rose to her cheeks when she realized who he was.

"No, my apologies, mi'lord. I've been so tired and distracted I did not realize who you are. Please, forgive my rudeness. We have a spare bed that you may use, Sir Nate." She stood and bowed slightly. It was Nate's turn, again, to be shocked.

"This man isn't..." Echo and Wiz looked at Latias and then at each other. Their parents had told them about the Lords and Lady of their kingdom and how they had defended their peace once before.

"How did you recognize me?" Nate looked at Latias and then at the two men near the fireplace.

"Our parents told us about the Lords and Lady... about how one with raven black hair had lead his armies into battle. One with purple air, much like that of the Air people, had created plans that were sure to bring victory. One with red hair, like that of the Fire people, who was an archer like none before. And how the Lady could control all eight basic elements and helped bring peace and security back to the lands." Latias was still in shock. "They said that the eyes of these four were different from all others... they were the only four with silver eyes-well, except for the 'Keeper of Knowledge'."

Nate shifted his weight. He hadn't figured that the stories of the past were still being told; he figured they had died long ago when fear no longer crept into the minds and hearts of the people. "Ah, I see. There is no need for your apology, and I thank you for the offer. Now, if you don't mind my asking... Do you care for the Sandstorm dragons?"

"Latias does. I care for the Air dragons and Echo, here, cares for the Earth dragons. It's something we've always done it seems." Wiz fed the three baby dragons and then sat at the table. "Why do you ask?"

"I have been searching for the Mistress of Air and Earth. Lord Liber, Sir Bane, and myself have been searching for the four Mistresses of the Elements for a few weeks now. That is why I am so tired." Nate sat next to Wiz and sighed. "We've had no luck so far and time is running out."

"What do you mean 'time is running out'?" Echo questioned. "Something's happened, hasn't it? Something that will threaten our way of life?"

"If you're searching for the Mistresses of the Elements... then something indeed has happened that threatens our very existence." Latias didn't know where this was coming from. "Only can our peace be protected and defended with the Mistresses... without them, we are doomed." The three men stared at her in utter disbelief. Echo and Wiz didn't believe what she was saying; Sir Nate couldn't believe what he was hearing-he now knew that he had found the Mistress of Air and Earth.

"I think I have just completed part of my mission." Sir Nate took out the three velvet bags. "If this pendant reacts to you, Latias, then you are the Mistress of Air and Earth." He handed her the white bag and watched as she cautiously placed the necklace around her neck. Soon the whole room was filled with a brilliant light. "I have found the first Mistress of the Elements."

"What are those two bags?" Echo pointed to the brown and purple bags still sitting on the table. Latias picked up the brown one and dumped the contents onto the table.

"This is for the General of Earth." Latias stood and walked over to Echo. "Echo, you are stubborn and hard-headed at times, but your friendship is unwavering. Steady as the Earth we walk on, you are the General of Earth; Commander of Earth and Earth dragons." She placed the necklace on him and the pendant glowed a warm brown. The smell of dirt filled the room and then faded as the brightness dimmed.

"Wait... what?" Echo looked at the pendant around his neck and then at Latias. She laughed at his wide-eyed expression, before turning her attention to Wiz.

"Now, for the General of Air." She picked up the purple bag and took out the necklace. "Wiz, you are a little scatter-brained at times, but you are swift and constant as the air we breathe. Calming as the gentle breeze, you are the General of Air; Commander of Air and Air dragons." She placed the necklace around his neck, and just as Echo's glowed so did his. A rich purple light and a gentle breeze filled the room briefly before dimming.

"Well, this is something I didn't expect." Wiz looked at Echo and Latias. "Witch isn't going to believe this."

"She will." Nate now spoke. "Witch and Glammy have already been sent to the main island. They were chosen as the Healers for Air and Earth." He held up his hand to stop Wiz from protesting. "Now, we must eat and rest. Tomorrow we join them." And the four did just that.

"My Lord of Sun and Shadows, please tell me you have good news." Justin, the One's, voice echoed in the large, spacious room. His eyes narrowed on his commander as he stepped forward.

"Unfortunately, Sire, no." The Lord of Sun and Shadow didn't fear anything, but, as he knew the news in which he must confess would anger "The One", he couldn't help but be a little fearful of the outcome. "Sir Nate has found the first Mistress of the Elements. Latias has awakened as the Mistress of Air and Earth and her Generals have also been awakened."

Justin took a deep breath before speaking. "This does not sit well with me, Shadow, but there are still three Mistresses remaining. If we can thwart at least one of them from being found, then we have won." His evil laughter filled the room. "Make sure that Lord Liber does NOT succeed!"


	3. Mistress of Water and Lightning

**The Mistress of Water and Lightning**

News had reached the Island of Water and Lightning that one of the foretold "Mistresses of the Elements" had awakened on the Island of Air and Earth. Lord Liber sighed a little. That meant they were one step closer in their quest to protect their kingdom. Liber tried to stay in the shadows, it seemed he was too well-known to keep out in the open. Rumors spread of why he was on the Island... "I heard he's looking for a new apprentice." One woman had said. "No, I heard he's just on vacation." Came a response to the first. There had been so many rumors it was hard for Liber not to respond, but he couldn't risk panic and fear spreading throughout the land. He made his way to the outskirts of the village, towards the place where the dragons lived.

"Come on, Wolfie, Bre's going to kill us if we're late... again." Pickle was running towards a little cottage nestled near a river. His blue eyes darted to the road that led up into the moutains and the starting point of the river. If he saw Bre heading towards the cottage he knew they'd be in trouble. So far, they were in the clear.

"Why did Eme have to go to the Main Island?" Wolfie whined a little. Pickle rolled his eyes. "She just said she had received a letter telling her to report there but she wouldn't say why."

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about." Pickle rolled his eyes. Wolfie had been complaining about his wife's departure for the past several hours. "She'll be back before you know it, but if we don't hurry..." He stopped mid-thought when he saw a figure appear at the base of the mountains.

"She's going to kill us..." Wolfie noticed too and hit the high speed. "Maybe she'll take it easy on me... but you, well... it was nice knowing you, Pickle." Wolfie joked a little.

"You boys are late." Bre said, she was already standing at the door by the time they'd reached the cottage. Pickle and Wolfie looked at each other and then back at Bre.

"Wait... How long have you been here?" Pickle asked, only a little out of breath. "We saw someone coming down from the mountains not two minutes ago."

Bre looked around the corner of the cottage-there was no one in sight. "I've been here for about an hour already. Are you feeling alright, Pickle? Wolfie, where's Eme?"

"She had to go to the Main Island... I don't know why; she wouldn't say." Wolfie pouted as he entered the cottage. "Hiz, Celestial." He greeted the baby Lunar Eclipse dragon who was curled up with Bre's baby Moon and Pickle's baby Blue Moon. She waddled over to him and sat at his feet.

"I am perfectly fine, thank you. We did see someone coming down from the mountains on our way here." Pickle said as his baby Blue Moon dragon fluttered over to him. "If you've been here the whole time, I don't know who it was... but probably someone who shouldn't be there."

"Hydra and Direct won't tolerate strangers. They'll either defend or hide. I'd venture to guess that they'll hide unless they feel threatened." Bre replied before grabbing some dragon snaps from a nearby basket. "Here you go, Selene." She feed one to her Moon dragon. She handed the others to the two men.

"So are we still on for dinner tonight?" Pickle stood closer to Bre. She looked at him and rolled her eyes.

"Well, we're not leaving Wolfie to eat alone." Bre replied. "And, by the way, it's your turn to fix dinner." She laughed a little at Pickle's facial expression.

"Fine." Pickle moved towards the kitchen area. AzuraLuna, his Blue Moon dragon, was close on his heels.

"Don't bother fixing enough for me." Wolfie said before heading to the door. "I'm not very hungry." He and Celestial made their way outside and were greeted by a man with short, black hair. "Hiz." Wolfie greeted the man in his usual manner.

"Hello, I was wondering if I might speak with the person who lives here?" The man questioned. Wolfie nodded slightly before reentering the cottage.

"Change your mind, Wolfie?" Pickle asked as he glanced over his shoulder."

"Bre, there's a man outside who wants to talk to you." Wolfie stood to the side of the doorway and watched confusion spread across Bre's face. As Bre made her way outside, he glanced at Pickle who looked just as confused as he was feeling.

"Hello, are you the person who lives here?" The man asked as Bre stepped outside with Selene, her Moon dragon, close behind. The man was taken aback by the sight of the baby Moon dragon and remembered seeing the baby Lunar Eclipse with the man who had been standing before him a few minutes before. Bre nodded. "Well, I hate to impose, but might I rest here a bit? I've been traveling for a few hours now and just need to rest a while before continuing on."

Bre looked the man over before saying anything. "Erm... sure, I guess. Come on inside. We're were just about to eat dinner, you're more than welcome to join us."

"Thank you, but I don't want to impose." He replied as he followed Bre into the cottage.

"I insist." Bre said and then thought for a moment. "In fact, why don't you rest here for the night?"

"I don't think..." Pickle tried to interrupt but was greeted with a stern look from Bre. "Sure, why not? We'll have a sleep over..." He rolled his eyes before turning his attention back to the stove.

Bre shook her head at Pickle and then looked at the traveler. "Please, have a seat." She motioned to one of the chairs around the table. She, the traveler, and Wolfie sat around the table and waited for supper in silence.

"May I ask how you came to have three Moon element dragons?" The traveler asked. No one answered until Pickle had set the meal on the table and everyone started to eat.

Bre took a deep breath before she began. "I was on my way home from the mountain when I noticed three unique looking eggs. After noticing that there was no dragon around, I gathered the eggs into my basket and brought them home. We never gave them much of a thought after a while. Then one day, while we were eating lunch, the eggs hatched. We couldn't believe what we were seeing. The Moon dragon chose me, the Blue Moon dragon chose Pickle, and the Lunar Eclipse dragon chose Wolfie."

The traveler thought for a moment, he began to think that he had found the second Mistress. When word came to him that the first Mistress had been found, it was also said that she and her generals had come to acquire three Olympus dragons. He was starting to think that maybe this was another sign. He knew, however, that he needed to confirm whether Bre cared for the Current and Plasma dragons. "I must ask something else and this may sound a little strange..." He started but was interrupted by the loud roar of a dragon.

"What was that?" Wolfie asked. "Rather, who was that?" He corrected. He knew the look on Bre's face: she already knew who's roar that was. They were out the door and running towards the mountain before anyone could answer. They neared the lake that was home to the Current dragons, the Plasma dragons lived in a cave near the lake's edge. Bre came to a halt as she noticed a figure standing near the edge of the lake. Hydra, Ohm, and several other dragons were flying just above the surface.

"Be careful, Bre." Pickle said as he saw Bre move closer to the lake. Hydra let out another loud, angry roar causing the three men to jump slightly. Bre's movement caused the figure to turn their focus from the opposite dragons to her.

Realization hit the traveler. He stepped beside Bre before addressing the stranger. "Lord of Sun and Shadows, you have no power here. You have no right to be here. You serve 'The One' and therefore are an enemy of this land."

The Lord of Sun and Shadows laughed. "Liber, you make me laugh. I have come to stop you from finding the second Mistress. You will not win this war; you cannot win this war." He turned his attention back to the lake and the dragons that were around.

Anger flared in Bre as she watched this man try to attack her dragons. She moved so that she was standing in the water. She knelt down and laid the palm of her hand just on the surface of the water. Sparks of lightning began to flicker from her fingertips and they darted across the surface of the water strengthening the Current dragons as well as the Plasma dragons. "I suggest you leave now. Leave and never return." Lord turned to look at Bre with utter shock on his face. Liber, Pickle, and Wolfie had a similar look on their faces.

"I think it's safe to say that I have found the second Mistress of the Elements." Liber said as Lord took his leave. "Here." Liber handed the white bag to Bre. She took out the necklace and put it on. Lightning streaked across the sky as a mist blew around her. Liber handed the other necklaces to Wolfie and Pickle as more lightning streaked and the mist turned to rain.

"What just happened?" Bre asked looking at Liber with astonishment on her face.

"Bre, you are the Mistress of Lightning and Water. Pickle is the General of Water and Wolfie is the General of Lightning. You three have been chosen for something that will affect the fate of all that we know." Worry, and perhaps a little terror, spread across the faces of the three standing before him. "Don't worry, you will not be going this journey alone. I will send for Blue Bruin and he will travel with you to the Main Island. There you will meet the Mistress of Earth and Air and her generals."

"You're not coming with us?" Wolfie asked, a little disappointed in the idea.

"I cannot. I must continue on in search of the third Mistress of the Elements. Once that is complete I will rejoin you on the Main Island. Sir Nate, Sir Bane and myself have taken it upon ourselves to find the four Mistresses... something that must be fulfilled if we are to have any hope of winning this war." The four said goodbye as Bre, Pickle, Wolfie, and Blue Bruin headed for the Main Island and Liber continued on his way to the Island of Metal and Plant.

"I see you failed again, Shadow." Justin was not pleased with his Second-in-Command. "I guess, if I want something done right, I'll have to do it myself."

"I'm sorry, my leige. Liber will be heading to the Island of Metal and Plant next... shall I make my way there?"

"No, I'll go myself. You are to wait here and monitor what is taking place on the Main Island. Do not fail me again." Justin turned on his heel and headed towards the Island that was home to the third Mistress. "Liber and his friends must be stopped. My plans will not be thwarted. I will have my victory and I will rule the world."


	4. Mistress of Plant and Metal

**Mistress of Plant and Metal**

"My sister is not going to be happy with you, Grim." Andy said as he fed his Solstice dragon some dragon fruit.

"I tried, okay, I can't help the fact that my memory isn't great. Joy will just have to deal with it." Grim responded, seemingly unconcerned about whatever Andy was saying.

"What are you talking about?" Andy looked over at Grim who was now trying to calm his Solar Eclipse dragon down. He handed him the remaining dragon fruit.

"What are you talking about?" Grim replied as he took the fruit.

"You inviting someone over for lunch without letting Joy know in advance..."

"Oh, that." Grim shrugged his shoulders.

"'Oh, that', what?" Joy asked when she walked in. She looked at Andy and then at Grim. Neither answered. "Well?"

"Grim invited someone over for lunch." Andy blurted. Grim gave Joy an innocent smile. She sighed.

"Well, Grim, that means you're fixing lunch while Andy and I clean up a bit." Joy gave her brother a stern look before he could protest.

"Fine. I'll get started on lunch." Grim stood up and walked over to the kitchen area.

"Who did you invite over?" Joy asked as she and Andy got started on the cleaning. "Please tell me it's not some stranger again." Grim and Andy, both, had habits of inviting travelers over for a meal every now and then.

"Er… well…" Grim started when there was a knock at the door. "That shouldn't be him, he said he had some business that needed to be attended to before he came… said it would take him a couple of hours."

Joy opened the door and her eyes went wide. "What are you doing here?" She practically hissed when she recognized the man standing at the door. Andy came to stand behind her, his hands clenched into tight fists.

"It's good to see you, too, Joy." Justin smiled a little. This had been one reason he wanted to come to the Island of Plant and Metal: to see Joy again and try to convince her to join him. "Can I come in?"

"You are not welcomed here!" Andy practically shouted. The metal pots began to rattle… it was as if they were obeying Andy's anger. Joy laid a hand on his shoulder to calm him.

"I was not talking to you… never address me unless I speak to you first." Justin spat. "Joy, marry me. We can rule the world together… figuratively speaking… I will always be supreme ruler."

"How many times do I have to tell you? No, I will never marry you. I can't stand your conceit; your arrogance and egotistical attitude is repulsing." Joy crossed her arms and stood firm in the doorway. Grim walked over and pulled her close to his side. His face was stern; he wasn't normally one to show emotions but he was very protective of Joy and Andy.

"I'll be back. I have things I need to take care of on this island. I won't take 'no' for an answer next time." Justin spun on his heel and walked out of sight.

"I'd like to see him come back…" Andy glared, hands still clenched into fists. He took a deep breath and then turned to his sister. "But, we have company coming soon and this place is still a mess."

"You're right. We'll deal with Justin later. One of these days he'll get the message." Joy said and then they got back to cleaning… Grim turned his attention back to the kitchen. The three Sun element dragons played with a rock out in the yard to keep from being in the way. "Helios, Ciardha, Summer, time for lunch!" Joy called once the cottage was clean. The three baby dragons came rushing in. They all rested as they waited for their guest to arrive. "So I take it he is another traveler passing through?" Joy rephrased an earlier question.

"You could say that." Came Grim's response, which caused Joy to look at him with a raised eyebrow. "He is an old friend from my travels. I've met him a few times before but it has been a few years since I've seen him. He seemed very interested in meeting you."

"He was quite intriqued by Summer and Ciardha. I mentioned that my sister has a Sun dragon he was really intriqued." Andy added. There came a knock at the door and Andy got up to answer it. "Welcome, please come in."

"Thank you, Andy. Sorry if I'm later than expected... I ran into someone in town that I would have cared not to see." Liber followed Andy to the table. He shook hands with Grim and nodded at Joy; both of whom were now standing.

"Not a problem, Liber. We haven't been waiting long." Grim motioned for Liber to sit. "This is Joy, Andy's sister, and that's her Sun dragon, Helios, over there with Ciardha." He pointed to the Sun and Solar Eclipse dragons snoozing on the bed. "Andy, where's Summer?" He asked when he noticed the Solstice dragon was missing from the usual trio.

"Um... she's under your chair." Andy laughed as Grim rolled his eyes. "At least she's not on your chair this time..." Grim couldn't help but laugh at that. The last time Summer had sat on his chair there had been a hole burned into it... something he hadn't noticed until he fell through.

"Grim started to tell me how you came to have three Sun element dragons but never finished." Liber tried to keep his mind off his run in with Justin. He hadn't expected Justin to leave his castle and do his own dirty work; he usually sent Shadow to do it for him.

"I'll try to finish it over lunch." Grim replied. He could tell Liber was unnerved by something but wasn't about to ask. They began to eat and Grim told the story about how he had come across the strange eggs. "As I was tending to the Plant dragons, Artemis, Hexas, and Shamrock came to me with three eggs. I wasn't about to ask where they came from and seeing how I had no other choice but to bring them to Joy... well, that's what I did. A few days passed and they eventually hatched while we were out tending to other dragons." He looked at Andy and Joy who were both trying hard not to laugh.

"We came home to a scorched disaster." Joy laughed. "Almost everything was burned... however, the three baby dragons were curled up on the floor fast asleep when we came home. There was no way I could be mad; they were so cute. Grim, however..." She laughed again. "Grim was angry until the little Solar Eclipse dragon yawned and flitted over to him. Ciardha and Grim have pretty much been inseparable ever since."

"At least he doesn't freighten the other dragons. Artemis and the others have taken the little guy under their wings while we're out there."

"Summer seems to like Phobos and Demos more than the other Metal dragons... I guess it's the two-headed thing. All of the Metal dragons enjoy having her out there; Penny as formed an almost motherly attachment to her." Andy spoke up and as he did Summer stirred. Grim stood up and moved his chair out of the dragon's way. "A little warm there, Grim?" They all laughed.

"Helios tends to stick close to me... Tinker and the others haven't really warmed up to the baby Sun dragon. But then... it's their nature to be cautious around strangers, even other dragons." Joy said which got Liber thinking.

"Joy, do you mind if I ask you something?" Liber was now curious. She shook her head and he proceeded. "Is Tinker by chance an Opposite dragon?"

"Yes, he's a Malachite dragon. He and the others live in a cave just inside the forrest. I have been the only one who has been able to approach them without threat. Even Andy and Grim cannot approach them unless I'm there. Tinker, especially, does not like strangers."

"If you care for the Opposite dragons, then I have completed my mission." Liber sighed in relief as he pulled out three cloth bags. He handed the white one to Joy, the green one to Grim, and the orange one to Andy. They looked questionally between the bag, each other, and Liber. "Joy, you are the third Mistress of the Elements. You are the Mistress of Plant and Metal. We have received warnings and demands... that if we do not meet "The One's" demands then we will be under attack. It will be a war we cannot win unless we find all four of the Mistresses of the Elements and their generals." He paused to allow that to sink in. "Now..."

"Wait. Did you say 'The One'?" Joy looked at Grim and Andy and then back at Liber. He nodded. "As in Justin 'The One'?" Her face grew pale as she thought about their earlier encounter with Justin. Liber nodded again. "He was here earlier. He said he'd be back and this time he wouldn't take 'no' for an answer."

"'No' to what?" Liber questioned. It seemed that the Mistress of Plant and Metal has history with Justin. "How do you know him?"

"We dated-briefly. If after that ended, he's been asking me to marry him and I keep telling him 'no'. I could no longer over look his arrogance and egoticism. Mistress or not, I will not allow Justin to ruin my home." Joy said and then took the necklace out of the bag. As she hooked it around her neck, the ground shook and a loud roar errupted from outside. Grim and Andy hooked their necklaces around their necks before the four ventured outside to see what was happening.

"Justin." Andy hissed, as they noticed a Gold standing close by with Justin walking towards them. As Justin approached the group, he noticed Liber standing among them. Suddenly, an Apocalypse dragon landed not too far away from the house and stood facing the Gold dragon ready to defend her master if needed.

"Easy, Desdemona." Liber held his hand up to his dragon when he heard her low growl. "Justin, leave! Now! You are too late... again. The third Mistress as awakened. Your task here is incomplete."

"Come with me, Joy. Leave these weaklings behind. Join me and no harm with come to those you care about." Justin reached his hand out to Joy. She looked at him and then at her brother and Grim.

"My place is here with my generals. Harm any of my people and face the consequences." The dragon pendant began to glow slightly. Justin took a step back and then finally decided if he fled now, he could return another day. The group stood tense as they watched Justin climb back on his Gold dragon and head off into the distance. "He'll be back." Joy turned to face Liber and the others.

"He'll be back, but we'll be ready." Grim said. The others nodded. They gathered what they needed for the journey to the Main Island and then headed off to prepare for the war that was now becoming more and more inevitable.

"How did it go, my leige?" The Lord of Sun and Shadows asked as Justin entered the throne room.

"Liber is better than I thought!" Justin slammed his fist on the table causing the guards in the room to jump. "I will stop the next one. The forth Mistress will not awaken... and if she does, she will be mine."

Shadow held back a smirk. He had been blamed for failing before, it was a small victory knowing that Justin, himself, had failed. "To the Island of Fire and Cold, then, my leige?" Justin nodded as he glared into the darkness before him.


	5. Mistress of Fire and Cold

**Mistress of Fire and Cold**

The young woman looked toward the sky as another day finished. She sighed deeply and listened to the low roars of the nearby Fire dragons. Her house sat at the edge of the village, away from those who teased her as a child. To say that she was unique would be about right... Celtic Star was definitely different in both physical appearance and in attitude.

"Star, you're beautiful and special. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise." Celtic remembered her grandmother's words. The wise old woman had raised her to be able to survive on her own.

"Excuse me, miss?" A man approached her from the road.

"Can I help you?" Celtic's eyes darted to the stranger's face. He wasn't from around here, that much was obvious. At first, with his red hair, it seemed like he could have been from the island, but it was his eyes that gave him away. On the Island of Fire and Cold, typically those with red hair had reddish eyes and those with pale blue hair had pale blue eyes... this man had silver eyes.

"I was wondering if you would be so kind as to show me where I can find shelter for the night? I've been traveling for a while now." He smiled warmly at her. Noticing, even in the darkening sky, that she was different from others that he had seen.

"The Inn is still a few miles from here, but if you don't abject, I have a small extension that you can use." Celtic's nerves settled as she listened to her instincts about this stranger. She smiled back at him as he nodded. "Claddagh, come on, it's time to go home."

"Claddagh?" The traveler looked questioningly at the young maiden before him. As if answering his question, a bumbling, baby Celtic dragon came flying towards them.

"There you are." Celtic bent down to pet the dragon who had landed at her feet. The three headed to the little house... more like a cottage. "Please, make yourself comfortable, dinner shall be ready shortly."

"I thank you for your kindness, mi'lady." The traveler sat in a chair and leaned his head back as he stretched. "May I ask something?" He watched the Celtic dragon flutter to, what he assumed to be, it's bed.

"How did I come to have a Celtic dragon?" She glanced at him. He nodded. "Heat, a friend of mine, was out monitoring the Fire dragons like he usually does. One day, he decided to check a nearby cave and discovered three eggs. He wasn't sure what to do with them so while we ate lunch he told us about his discovery."

"'Us'?"

"Frost and myself. Frost, Heat's twin brother, looks after the Cold dragons. After lunch, I followed Heat to the cave to see these mysterious eggs. I knew exactly what I was looking at when I saw them. With no parent in sight, I decided to take the eggs home and care for them. A few days later, the eggs hatched. I took the three baby dragons to lunch with me. Iris, the Rainbow dragon, decided she liked Frost more and chose to stay with him. Pendragon, the Leap Year dragon, decided he liked Heat best and chose to stay with him. Claddagh, my precious Celtic dragon, seemed to have chosen me as soon as she hatched." Celtic laughed as she watched Claddagh play with a mouse that had scurried into sight.

"In recognizing the eggs, you must know how rare the Rainbow dragons are?" The traveler smiled at the playfulness of the baby dragon.

"Yes, as rare as the other Epic dragons, and as unique as the four women who can control the elements." This statement made the man stiffen and look at Celtic.

"What is your name? How do you know about the Mistresses?" He sat straighter and watched as she placed pumpermelons in the dragon's food dish. She placed their dinner on the table and sat in silence for a few minutes before answering.

"My name is Celtic Star. What friends I have call me 'Celt' or 'Celtic'. My grandmother called me 'Star', she was the one who told me about the Mistresses. Someday our land would come under attack and then the Mistresses of the Elements would awaken." The two ate quietly before the traveler spoke.

"Unfortunately, that day is coming. Lord Liber, Sir Nate, and myself have been searching for the Mistresses now, before it's too late."

"Then that would make you Sir Bane?" Celtic nearly choked on her food when she realized who was sitting at her table.

"I guess it does." He chuckled a little. "Do you meet your friends everyday?" Bane was starting to think that he had found the last Mistress of the Elements.

"Yes, we meet for lunch. Besides the dragons I care for, Heat and Frost are my only family." She cleared the table as she spoke. "You aren't exactly their first choice in the Lords to meet... they're not as into the farming and pedestals as they are with the racing and Colosseum. Many times they have gotten into arguments-sometimes physical fights-over the Dragon racing and Colosseum." She laughed as she thought about the arguments the brothers often found themselves in.

"Would you mind if I joined you tomorrow? I'd like to meet these two and see the Fire and Cold dragons." Not really taking offense to this, Bane stood and stretched. He hadn't realized how tired he really was.

"We'd be honored. We'll leave right after breakfast. I have dragons I must take care of before lunch." Celtic smiled. "I'll show you where to rest, mi'lord."

The next morning Celtic was up early and started breakfast. Claddagh stretched and made her way to her food bowl. Finding it empty, she made a slight roar. "Sorry, Claddagh." Celtic smiled and filled the bowl

"Zazzberries for breakfast, little one?" Bane stood in the door way. Claddagh looked up at him and then refocused on her food. "Grow big and strong, little one."

"Good morning, Sir Bane." Celtic smiled warmly. "Breakfast will be ready shortly."

"I thank you for the room, Celtic. I have been traveling for weeks now. That was the most restful night sleep I've gotten since leaving home." He sat at the table and watched Claddagh lick her bowl clean. "It won't be long before she's full grown. And, please, call me 'Bane'."

"Indeed, Bane. You're welcome, it's the least I could do for a traveling stranger." Celtic placed breakfast on the table and sat down. "I would except Claddagh to grow in the next day or so. Before we can head out, I need to gather some more zazzberries and dragon fruit for Neon and the others." She stood and cleared the table. She placed their lunch in a bag and grabbed a basket. "There, that should be enough." She smiled at the now full basket.

"Who is Neon?" Bane asked as they made their way towards the base of the two mountain ranges... to the left the mountains were covered in snow, to the right the mountains were volcanoes. "It is amazing how the Fire and Cold dragons can live side by side in relative peace."

"Peace?" Celtic snickered. "Uh, duck." They both ducked as a snow ball came flying in their direction. "The two groups are always pestering one another. Sometimes it amazes me that we can all coexist on this island." Her pale blue eyes danced with laughter.

"I see what you mean." Bane laughed a little as a fireball flew in front of them. Celtic shook her head. "You wouldn't change this for anything in the world, would you?" They stopped, though it probably wasn't the safest thing to do.

"No, I wouldn't." Celtic's eyes grew dark. "I may have been teased a lot growing up, but these people are still my people. This island is home to the people and the dragons I love. I will do whatever I have to in order to protect them." Her face was set in determination. Bane could have sworn that the air around her fluctuated between hot and cold. "Maybe we should keep moving."

"In coming!" A voice came from above. Celtic shook her head-she knew that voice. A Forge dragon hovered above them and then landed off to the side. "Celty, you know better than to stop in the middle of the path." A tall muscular man, with red hair and red eyes, climbed down off the dragon. "Thanks, Mars, you can go." With that the magnificent Forge took off for home.

"And you, Heat, know better than to startled me." Celtic gave him a teasing glare. "Where's Aiden today?" Heat was usually flying around on the Fire dragon.

"Oh, he's probably trying to give Pendragon a flying lesson... again." Heat rolled his eyes. "Aiden doesn't listen when I say that the Leap Year doesn't need flying lessons. He's still trying to figure out where Pendragon's wings are." Bane chuckled which caused Heat to notice the stranger. Eying him up, Heat knew that the stranger was someone special. He turned his attention to Celtic; he knew her well enough to be able to read her emotions from the way she moved. Something was definitely up. "Who is this?" Heat asked Celtic as he gestured to the man.

"Be nice, brother." A Snow dragon landed behind Celtic and Bane. A mirror image of Heat climbed down. Bane looked between Heat and the newcomer, eyes wide. "That will be all Pyry, thank you." The Snow dragon, however, did not leave. He looked at Celtic and roared slightly.

"It has been a while, Pyry." Celtic walked over and petted the dragon. After a nice scratch under the chin, Pyry left. "Good morning, Frost." Celtic smiled at the man in pale blue.

"Good morning, Celt. Heat." He nodded to his twin. Celtic rolled her eyes as she saw the tension between the two. Frost ran a hand through his pale blue hair and sighed. "I must insist, however, on being informed of who this stranger is." Heat snickered at his brother's formality.

"I am Sir Bane. I assume you are Heat and Frost, keepers of the Fire and Cold dragons?" Bane smiled a little at Celtic's frustrated expression.

"Wait, what are you doing here if you're really Sir Bane?" Heat questioned, suspicion thick in his voice. Celtic shot him a look that made him take a step back. Frost also took a step back as he felt the air around Celtic shift back and forth between hot and cold.

"He's looking for the 'Mistress of Fire and Cold'." Celtic sighed and then continued moving forward. "If I don't get moving, Neon and the others are going to be mad at me." The three men watched as she walked away from them... little Claddagh flying beside her. Suddenly the ground shook, causing Celtic to stop mid-stride. "What in the world...?" Off in the distance there was a Gold dragon.

"I thank you, Bane, for finding her for me." His voice sent chills down Celtic's spine. "Now, to stop you from completing your mission." The man climbed down from the Gold dragon and walked towards them. Bane ran to stand in front of Celtic. "Do you think you can stop me? I am 'The One' and I will not be stopped!"

Bane turned to face Celtic as Heat and Frost stood in front of him. Celtic's eyes darted between the man and her friends. "Put this on." Bane handed her the white velvet bag. With trembling hands, she pulled out the necklace. "Here. Let me." Bane took the necklace from her and latched it around her neck. As soon as the pendant touched her skin, it began to glow.

"NO!" Anger erupted from "The One" as he realized he hadn't stopped the last Mistress of the Elements from awakening. The brightness from the pendant blinded him and he scurried back to his dragon. "I will be back and you will all pay for this!"

"What the heck just happened?" Heat and Frost turned to look at Bane and Celtic. Bane was kneeling in front of Celtic; a look of utter confusion written on her face. "Celty is the Mistress of Fire and Cold?" Heat looked at his twin.

"Sir Bane, the other necklaces, please." Celtic smiled as Bane stood and handed her the two necklaces. "Heat, you are hot-tempered, but you are a fierce warrior and protector. With this pendant you will become General of Fire; commander of Fire and Fire dragons." The red dragon glowed briefly.

"Well, that's different." Heat looked at the pendant and then back at Celtic. Celtic laughed.

"Frost, you keep a cool head. You try to think before you act, but act when necessary. With this pendant you will become General of Cold; commander of Cold and Cold dragons." The pale blue dragon glowed and then all three pendants lit up like the sun.

"That was bright." Bane laughed as the light dimmed. "My mission is complete, I have found the last Mistress and her Generals." He sighed and looked at the three standing before him; a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders. "Now, we must join the others. WK and Poke are already there and will serve as your healers." He whistled and a Seasonal dragon landed. Three dragons could be seen in the distance making their way towards the group.

"Neon." Celtic smiled as she recognized the Blue Fire dragon. "I'm sorry, I didn't make it today." Aiden and North landed near Heat and Frost. Before they could leave another dragon landed. "Snowmelt?" Celtic looked at the Frostfire dragon. "Ah, right. Sorry, here you go." She placed the basket of zazzberries and dragon fruit in front of the dragon and smiled.

"If the glowing pendant wasn't proof enough, seeing her care for the Opposite hybrids is." Bane stood, almost in shock, as he watched Celtic with the two dragons. "We must get going, there is a long journey ahead of us, yet." Celtic said good bye to the mighty Frostfire and climbed on to the back of Neon. With baby Claddagh in her lap and friends by her side, Celtic believed she could do anything. The four headed for the main island... unsure of what lay ahead.


	6. Intermission

"I heard that the Alphas are heading to the Training Island." An Iceberg dragon was floating on the surface of the water beside a Quicksilver dragon.

"Aquamarine, where did you hear that?" The Quicksilver looked at the Iceberg dragon and rolled his eyes.

"Thewizard03, I heard it from Adriano. Firework dragons know a lot." The Iceberg dragon replied with her nose slightly in the air.

"Right, I heard from Destroyer that they were heading here, to the Main Island. Something about Mistresses of the Elements." The Quicksilver sniffed the air. "I smell food."

"You always smell food." A laugh came from above. Flying above the water was Adriano, the Firework dragon. "The Alphas are going to the Training Island... but only after they arrive here."

"Where do _you_ get your information, Adriano?" A deep voice came from the ground. A Scoria dragon came to a stop next to the water.

"Hello! Destoryer, how are you?" Adriano floated down to the ground and landed next to the Scoria dragon. "I heard it from Aiden before I came here. He said that even the Opposite hybrids are coming."

"The Opposite hybrids? Don't they, like, hate coming out of their homes?" The Iceberg dragon floated closer to the edge but stayed in the water. Just as she said that roars were heard from a distance. The four turned and watched as several dragons made their way to the Main Island. "Incoming..."

"That's a lot of dragons..." Adriano looked at the other three and then back at the dragons that were getting closer. "And it's all the Alphas. There's Aiden and NorthPole... and Neon and Snowmelt." He named four of the Alphas from his home island.

"They are the Alphas from every type of dragon... this island is about to get crowded..." Destroyer said as the Alpha dragons made their decent on to the island.

"At least only the Opposite hybrids are staying for now..." Thewizard03 said before floating downstream and away from the crowd. The other three watched the mass of Alpha dragons before they, too, disappeared into their normal daily routines.


	7. Gathering and Training

**Gathering and Training**

"Welcome to the Main Island." Liber greeted everyone as they stood facing him. Dt and Nate stood to his right, while Bane and Argyos stood to his left. The five faced the Mistresses and their Generals.

"It is good to see the 12 of you standing in front of us." Master Argyos smiled. "However, your teams are not yet complete." He looked at Dt who, in turn, nodded to one of the guards.

"Mistresses and Generals, may I introduce you to your healers." Dt said as familiar faces entered the room. "One healer per element."

"They have already been told what their task is. They have been instructed in their abilities and will now asisst you." Argyos explained while each healer went to stand with their element group.

"The Healers have the ability to heal the dragons and the Generals. They have the ability to heal minor wounds the Mistresses may sustain. However, it it the Mistress of Water and Lightning who has the ability to heal the Mistresses should they sustain major injuries." Dt held her hand up to silence any questions. "Should she sustain any major injury, it will be up to her Generals. The Lightning and Water elements are the only two to have healing abilities. The healers cannot, at this time, control any element."

"What about combat training?" Heat asked; seemingly uninterested in the information about the healers.

"Nate will train the Generals and the Alpha dragons from each type. Dt will teach the Mistresses how to use and control the elements. Once that is complete, they will join the Generals in combat training." Liber replied. Tension was thick but so was the hope that they could defeat Justin without much effort.

"But, for now, we can get to know each other. Training will begin tomorrow." Nate stated; he wasn't really in the mood to start training at that moment.

"Well, this is going to be fun." Heat's sarcastic comment earned him a look from Celtic. "What?" He looked at his brother, who only shook his head.

"Let's see how well the boys can play together." Bre said as the four women gathered in a circle.

"This will be interesting." Celtic watched as Heat and Frost made their way to the other Generals. "Heat isn't really a 'people' person. Frost will probably fair better."

"I have a feeling teamwork is going to be an issue." Dt commented as she and the Lords watched the interaction between the Generals.

"At least among the Generals. The Mistresses seem to be getting along." Bane noticed that the four Mistresses were standing in their own circle.

Eventually, everyone mingled with everyone else. The low roar of the dragons outside could be heard under the chatter taking place in the room. "To think of what lies ahead... the danger that we all have to face soon..." Liber stood away from the groups. Blue Bruin stood beside him.

"They are young, unprepared, and unsure. Out hope and the fate of all we know rests with them." Blue said. Nate approached the men and looked weary at what he'd just heard. "However, they will be trained by the best. We can rest our hope on them. 'The One' will not know what he started and he will regret starting it." Blue smiled a little... he seemed to love to stress the others out before giving encouragement.

"Blue, you are too much some times." Nate laughed and Liber shook his head.

"I have every confidence they will be fine. They will pull together when they have to." Blue added. The three men watched as the others continued to talk and joke.

"So much rests on us." Joy said as she was standing with Celtic, Andy, Frost, and Latias.

"What if we fail?" Andy asked, a little unsure.

"Then everything we know; everything and everyone we love is finished." Frost replied. The gravity of the situation only seemed to strengthen.

"Gee, thanks for the negativity." Celtic sighed. She looked around the room, memorizing the faces of those who had now become family. The fire burned within her as she remembered the threat from the other day _"I will be back and you will all pay for this!"_ His anger echoed in her mind.

"Celt, you okay?" Frost laid a hand on her shoulder. He had noticed the shift in the air around her and the tension on her face.

"Yes, I just need some air, I think." She smiled and then headed to the balcony.

"What's up with her?" Andy asked when he noticed her leave.

"She's not big on negativity." Frost replied, shrugging his shoulders. "She'll be fine." He glanced over at his brother who was standing with Pickle, WK, and Poke. They locked eyes... an understanding between them. Celtic may not be blood, but she was their sister.

"This is going to be fun." Wolfie said as he thought about the coming days. Wiz, Echo, and Bre shook their heads.

"This is going to be a lot of work." Echo mumbled. Bre rolled her eyes and went to join Latias and Joy.

"May I have everyone's attention, please?" Liber said in a loud voice. The crowd hushed; Celtic made her way back inside with Bane who had joined her on the balcony.

"Well that's interesting..." Andy whispered to Heat and Frost when he noticed Celtic and Bane enter the room together.

"I think it would be wise if we all got some sleep. There is a lot to do in the coming days. Rooms have been set up for you here; you'll each be sharing with someone for tonight. The Generals will travel with Nate to the Training Island tomorrow." Liber announced.

"The Mistresses with travel with Bane and me to the Farm Island tomorrow. We'll leave after breakfast." Dt added before everyone made their way to their rooms.

In the morning they all gathered in the banquet hall for breakfast. As they quietly picked back up on the conversations from last night, a guard brought Liber a message. The conversations continued as Liber read over it, but they came to an abrupt stop when he slammed his fist on the table. "It's from 'The One'." Disdain filled his voice as he said the name. "He says to prepare for the battle to end all battles. We have refused to meet his demands so he has no other choice but to declare war." Roars suddenly errupted from outside. A guard came rushing into the room out of breath. "What's happened, Leajey?!"

"Sire, the Storage Island..." Leajey took a moment to catch his breath. "It's been under attack; the crystal keeping it afloat has been stolen." Gasps rippled through the room as the meaning of that sank in. "The Lord of Sun and Shadow was spotted flying away from the island on his Equinox dragon. We've managed to move the Storage Tower to the Training Island for the time being... thanks to Dt and Kairos. We're lucky that's all that was on the island right now."

"Thank you, Leajey. Thank you, Dt." Liber sighed in slight relief. "What is being done to keep it afloat?" He looked at Argyos and Dt.

"I have sent Topaz and August. Gemstone dragons have the same kind of magic as the crystals that keep the islands floating. How close are we to getting a Jade?" They had been attempting to breed a Jade dragon the moment it was discovered. Any additional Gemstone would always benefit the kingdom.

"We have one. The egg with be in the nursery sometime today." Blue spoke up. It had been news only Liber knew, with everything else that was going on, getting the Jade was less important. But now with the threat against the islands themselves... "Should Robo and I try and breed another Emerald dragon?"

"Can we use the pedestals as well? In place of the crystal... I know it won't be nearly as strong and will still need help from the Gemstone dragons, but if it can work..." Liber thought for a moment. The room was silent; everyone eager for a response to Liber's inquiry.

"It just might. It will work if we can have the Gemstone power their own egg." Argyos looked at Dt who nodded. "If we place the Peridot pedestal in place of the crystal then it will work if we have August power it."

"Good. Do it. Go ahead and place a Gemstone pedestal on each island, just in case. Have Esmerelda, Ruby, Saphira, and March head to the Element Islands. Tola, Garnet, December, April, and Mared head to the others... April can stay at the Gemstone Island for now. August can stay at the Storage Island. Topaz and February will rotate between the islands when needed." Liber said. "Though once they place the eggs in a secure location on the islands they can return to the Gemstone Island until the moment they are needed. August of course will stay at the Storage Island." Dt and Argyos nodded and then headed out to get the task done.

"Training will go on as planned. I will place guards at each island; they will signal if there's trouble." Nate stated; he knew that they couldn't risk sending unprepared Generals and Mistresses into battle. Liber and Bane nodded. "I'll round up the Generals and their Alpha dragons and head to the Training Island. I'm sure Essiw is ready for my return."

"I will go ahead and take the Mistresses and the Opposite hybrid alphas to the Farm Island. They can await Dt there." Bane knew Nate was right. They couldn't put the training on the back burner... if anything the theft of the crystal was enough for them to step up their game. There would be no rest until 'The One' was stopped.

"Let me know if there is any trouble." Nate and Bane nodded before gathering their groups.

"Before we leave, feed these to your dragons." Bane handed each Mistress and General a few beanstalks. They did as they were told and suddenly all the Epics were fully grown. Everyone looked at the Lunar Eclipse dragon a little speechless.

"Oh my..." Nate was the only one to say anything. "Anyways... Let's get going; there's a lot to do." They split ways and it didn't take long to get to their destinations. It was about a week and a half later before the Mistresses were ready to join their Generals on the Training Island.

"Well, done, Shadow." Justin said as he and his Second-in-Command looked at the crystal that was used to keep the Storage Island afloat. "Now there are just nine more."

"Which island is next, my leige?" Shadow turned to face 'The One'. There was silence.

"The Island of Plant and Metal seems like a good choice." Shadow bowed before heading out to steal another crystal. "My revenge starts now."


	8. Stealing the Crystals

**Stealing the Crystals**

"It's clear he's trying to distract us by stealing the power crystals." Liber had gathered Bane, Nate, Dt, and Argyos to discuss the best course of action now that more of the crystals had been stolen... and lives had already been lost.

"He has stolen five crystals already. The Gemstone eggs as stand-ins are working for now, but the Gemstone dragons are getting worn out." Dt's worry was evident on the faces of the others.

"What can we do? Breed more Gemstone dragons? That would take too long. What else is there besides stealing the crystals back?" Bane posed a few ideas at once.

"The latter sounds intriguing." Liber thought for a minute. "But how would we go about it?"

"Um... we hate to intrude, but Celtic and I got to thinking..." Joy and Celtic entered the room.

"Mistresses?" Argyos questioned. He was about to ask how they got passed the guards but Liber held up his hand to stop him.

"What is it you were thinking?" Liber motioned for Joy and Celtic to join the rest.

"I think the two of us could get close enough to Justin to get the crystals." Joy answered. "With my history with him and his sudden interest in Celt..."

"It's risky..."Nate started to speak but was interrupted.

"Too risky!" Bane stated in a stern, almost angry, voice. "What if something were to happen to them..."

"Easy, Bane..." Nate laid a hand on his friend's shoulder. "We won't send them in without a plan."

"Still... there has to be another way; a better-a safer-way." Bane relaxed a little, but it was still evident that he was tense.

"We've thought about a lot of ways... but nothing seemed like it would work." Celtic replied. "The Generals all offered, the Healers, even Lati and Bre... I just don't see any other way." She stood firm, even though she was just as worried as Bane was. She knew that if something happened to her and/or Joy, the rest would suffer the consequences.

"If we do this right, we can make it work." Liber said as he thought about how they could make it work.

"But how? How do we plan this so that they don't get killed?" Frost, Heat, Andy, and Grim entered the room. "We've been thinking... we don't like this idea." Grim said.

"Right now it's all we have." Dt spoke up. "Breeding more Gemstone dragons will take too long. As long as no more crystals are stolen we can manage. The Gemstone dragons are getting tired; I'm not sure how much longer they can go."

"Then this is the only way." Celtic said. She looked at Joy who nodded in agreement. "The sooner we accept this, the sooner we can formulate a plan. I know it won't be easy. It will be dangerous... for all of us, especially for Joy and I, but it has to be done. We can't be on the battle field worrying about whether or not we'll have islands to return to." She whispered "if we return" so quietly that she was sure no one heard it.

"We need to figure out a signal... something that will let us know if something went wrong and something that will let us know to be ready when you return with the crystals." Nate looked at the Mistresses. "Fire and Ice..." His gaze landed on Celtic. "A fireball into the sky for trouble; ice for when you are ready to return, mission accomplished."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Joy looked at Nate and then at Celtic. "We should get moving, the sooner this is over the better I'll feel."

"We'll be without contact until their return. I want everyone on high alert; ready for anything. Though I do not want to put a halt on the training." Liber said. The others nodded in agreement. "Bane and I will journey to meet Joy and Celtic when they signal they are returning. The others will only be taken from their training if fire lights the sky. At that time we prepare for battle." As they started to make their way outside, Bane pulled Celtic aside.

"Bane, I'll be fine." Celtic saw the tension in his face. She glanced out of the corner of her eye to see Heat and Frost standing not too far from them. "This has to be done; it's the only way." She smiled, but it was a lie.

"I know... it is what it is." He relaxed a little... a very little. "Just be careful. Justin should not be underestimated. Neither should Shadow." He looked at the Generals of Fire and Cold and then back at Celtic. "I don't think I'll be the only one to miss you if you don't come back."

Celtic smiled a little... a genuine smile. "I don't think so either..." She looked around the room, Joy was standing with Grim and Andy. "There's a lot at stake if we don't come back. This is a lot bigger than any of us." She looked back at Bane when she felt him take her hand and place something in her palm. "What's...?"

"It's just a token of our friendship." Bane placed the small, golden arrow charm in Celtic's hand. "I guess it's time you and Joy head out." They joined Heat and Frost as they made their way outside. Claddagh and Helios were waiting. Celtic attached the arrow to her charm bracelet and climbed up onto Claddagh. She smiled at her Generals and then at Bane and the others before taking flight.

"Sire, we have visitors." Shadow came into the throne room. Justin looked up at him with a look of annoyance. "Shall I bring them to you?"

"Yes, but make it quick." Justin was in no mood for visitors. He waited a few minutes when the door opened and in walked the Mistress of Plant and Metal and the Mistress of Fire and Cold. "Well, this is a nice surprise." He said in a suspicious tone.

"Justin, I'd like to apologize for the other week." Joy said. Celtic stood just behind her; alert to the others in the room. She absent-mindly played with the charms on her bracelet: a flame, a snowflake, a Celtic knot, and the new arrow. "You took me off guard... I didn't expect to see you again."

"What's _she_ doing here?" Justin nodded at Celtic... though he was thinking that she might be more willing to join him than Joy. "Shadow, escort Joy to one of the rooms, I'd like to speak with Celtic alone." Shadow nodded and escorted Joy out of the room. She and Celtic exchanged eye contact. "You'll see her again, but first let's get to know each other." They walked down a dark hallway before entering a room where the island crystals were kept. One flickered between blue and red when Celtic entered the room.

"That's the crystal for the Island of Fire and Cold..." Celtic stepped closer to it and as she did her dragon pendant began to glow. "That's interesting..." Suddenly, the crystal vanished.

"What did you do?!" Justin was furious... he sent a blast of dark energy at Celtic, knocking her hard against the wall. "Where's that crystal?!" Another wave of energy blasted Celtic. She struggled to stand; she heard footsteps in the hallway. Joy entered the room and as soon as she did the crystal for the Island of Plant and Metal disappeared too. "Get her!" Justin pointed at Joy. Celtic rushed towards him and knocked him off his feet. On their way out, Joy and Celtic quickly gathered the remaining three crystals. They ran towards the entrance only to be stopped by Shadow. Dark lightning flew at the Mistresses. They dodge as best they could in the tight corridor. Celtic blasted Shadow with fire, but he quickly moved out of the way. Joy locked the crystals into metal boxes and placed them into a pouch she was carrying.

"We've got to get out of here." Celtic said as she tried to calm her nerves. She could feel the pain from the energy blasts starting to get to her. Joy nodded and forged two swords. She handed one to Celtic, who then engulfed it in flames. They fought their way to the outside. As they climbed on to their dragons an energy blast came flying from behind.

"Do NOT let them escape!" Justin shouted. He was beyond angry; he'd been played. He threw more energy blasts at the Mistresses but their dragons turned and sent the blasts hurling back at Justin and his men. Celtic shot a fire ball high into the sky and hoped Liber had been right...


	9. The Connection of the Four Crystals

**The Connection of Four of the Crystals**

"What the...?" Echo said as the sky lit with fire. Not paying attention to the training, Echo found himself flat on his back. "Wiz!"

"Sorry, you were supposed to..." Wiz helped Echo up but his sentence was cut off by a loud roar.

"That can't be good." Andy looked at Grim and then at the twins. They knew what the fire meant. "Let's go!" The four Generals started running towards the entrance of the Colosseum. The others were close behind.

They reached the edge of the Training Island where they met Liber and Bane. "Prepare for battle. Joy and Celtic are in trouble." Liber said, before he was finished all of the dragons were already taking flight.

"I hope they get here soon." Celtic said, she was struggling to stand. "Not sure how many more hits I can take."

"Just hang in there." Joy had formed metal barriers to block some of the energy blasts. She was feeling the blasts as well.

"Give up! You can't win!" Justin shouted while his men continued to attack. "Give me the crystals and I'll let you go."

"Forget it!" Celtic stood on shaky legs and then sent a fire ball barrelling at Justin and his men.

"Then die!" Justin was furious. He made his way closer to the Mistresses. "This is your last chance, hand over the crystals or die."

"I think you're forgetting an option, Justin." That voice eased Celtic and Joy's fears.

"Liber..." Justin hissed when he noticed Liber and the rest approaching. "This is nowhere near finished!" He signaled for Shadow and the others to fall in line.

"Are you two alright?" Liber asked Joy and Celtic when he reached them.

"I've been better." Joy said as Grim came over to support her.

"I don't think I've ever been worse." Celtic laughed a little. It was very evident that she was struggling to stand. She leaned against Frost when he got close enough. "The bright side..." Celtic winced a little. "The bright side is that we managed to get the crystals."

"That is good..." Liber sighed a little in relief. "Now if we can only get you out of here."

"You will not leave until I get those crystals back!" Justin shouted.

"He likes repeating himself, I see." Pickle said. "Can we get out of here already? This isn't the best battle location..."

"I'd have to agree on that one, Liber." Nate said, the rest of the Generals and the dragons had been fighting for a while now. "We might be able to bide some time so you and Bane can get Joy and Celtic out of here."

"No! We're staying!" Celtic tried to stand on her own.

"No, you are getting out of here. You are in no shape to continue fighting." Frost said as he nudged Celtic towards Claddagh.

"Come on, Celtic." Heat grabbed her by the elbow and nearly threw her up on her dragon. "Claddagh, get her out of here."

"Joy, you too." Andy and Grim helped her onto Helios. The two Mistressess were joined by Liber and Bane. As they were about to take flight the Malachite, Ironwood, Frostfire, and Blue Fire dragons fell into a protective line.

"This isn't over!" Justin shouted when he realized that Celtic and Joy had gotten away. And with them were the crystals.

"Good to see you back on your feet." Echo greeted Celtic and Joy as they entered the banquet hall."

"Hiz." Wolfie looked up from his plate. He smiled at the women and then went back to eating.

"Celtic! Joy!" Wiz rushed at the Mistresses and hug-tackled them.

"Wiz..." Frost shook his head when he walked into the room.

"Well, it's not like I haven't been laying down for the past week or anything." Celtic remarked sarcastically as Frost helped her to her feet.

"Sorry." Wiz replied sheepishly.

"No worries; it's good to be moving about again." Joy said, Celtic nodded.

"You said you managed to get the crystals, but we've only place three of the five..." Argyos mentioned.

"Well..." Celtic looked at Joy as she tried to figure out how to explain what happened.

"I wonder..." Bane, who had been standing in the background, spoke up. "The two that are missing are the Island of Plant and Metal and the Island of Fire and Cold, right?"

"What are you getting at, Bane?" Nate asked.

"Maybe the crystals aren't missing." Bane looked at Celtic and Joy. Murmurs spread through the room as everyone thought about what Bane had just said.

"They're not." Celtic spoke. The room went silent. She explained what happened when Justin had led her to where the crystals had been kept.

"Then how do we return the crystals?" Wiz asked. Wolfie nodded.

"We don't." Frost said. "As long as Joy and Celtic live, the two Islands will float."

"Huh? What?" Echo questioned. "How does that work?"

"We have taken the crystals into ourselves... or rather the power of the crystal. As long as Joy and I live, our Islands are safe." Celtic thought for a moment. "Maybe when the threat of Justin is over will the crystals reappear..."

"What about the islands?" Latias asked. "Could Bre and I do the same as Joy and Celt?"

"It's possible, Latias. There's one way to find out..." Grim replied.

"Erm..." Bre thought for a minute."But do we want to? Is that not one more thing to worry about?"

"It's as easy as breathing, Bre." Joy replied. "I don't have to focus on it but I know it's working."

"Argyos, can you explain any of this?" Dt asked. Everyone gathered around the table as Argyos thought about it.

"It's possible that the connection each Mistress has with her island is strong enough that they become the crystals..."

"What?" Pickle asked.

"The unique power the crystal has-the power to keep the islands afloat-had now manifested itself in the two Mistresses. I'm thinking that the crystal reacted to the pendant." Argyos explained. "It makes sense that the other two crystals will react the same way."

"Should we try it?" Latias asked. "What would it hurt to at least try?"

"I don't see any reason not to." Echo agreed.

"Can we at least finish breakfast first?" Wolfie asked. Everyone laughed.


	10. The Worst is Yet to Come

**The Worst is Yet to Come**

"Well that was painless." Bre said after the crystal of the Island of Water and Lightning reacted to her pendant.

"No offense, Celtic and Joy, but I honestly didn't think that would happen." Wiz said. Everyone had witnessed what had just happened

"It's your turn, Latias." Nate said, Latias nodded.

"Now we only have to worry about the other islands." Liber said after the crystal of the Island of Air and Earth reacted to Latias' pendant.

"I think we should get back to training." Heat stated. "It was quite obvious that we are still not ready to go up against Justin."

"Heat's right." Pickle agreed.

"We'll rest for the night and pick up the training again tomorrow." Nate replied.

"What is it, Celtic?" Bane noticed that she had a thoughtful look on her face.

"It's just..." Celtic thought for a moment. "I was thinking about the other crystals."

"What about them?" Argyos asked.

"As I was looking at the crystal's pedestals, I thought that maybe there's a way to hide the actual crystal."

"How?" Grim asked.

"If we can somehow stick the crystal inside the pedestal, we can place a fake crystal on top." Celtic answered.

"A fake crystal?" Echo asked. For her answer, Celtic formed a crystal shape out of ice.

"Not sure how well ice will hold up though." Frost said.

"Well, if Lati and I joined elements we might be able to form actual crystal." Celtic replied.

"It's worth trying." Nate said. "If we don't have to worry about the islands, we'll be able to focus more on defeating Justin."

"Alright, go ahead with this." Liber said. "We will meet up on the Training Island after the task is finished." Celtic and the other Mistresses headed to the other islands and created the fake crystals.

"It's finished and seems to be working." Celtic said when she entered the Colosseum.

"As long as Justin and his men don't find where the crystal is, this should work." Frost replied. Everyone seemed to relax a little knowing that this was one less thing they had to worry about.

"Let's all get some rest. Training begins again in the morning." Liber said but no one moved. They sat in silence for a while before they started, slowly, making their way to their rooms.

"Sire, should we try stealing the crystals again?" Shadow asked.

"Not just yet." Justin replied. "We'll give them sometime to let down their guard and then we'll make our move."

"I wonder what he's waiting for?" Joy thought out loud as the Mistresses were sitting outside. "Do you think he gave up?"

"Not likely." Celtic shook her head. It had been almost two weeks since they'd made the fake crystals. "He's biding his time... probably thinking that we'll drop out guard because we don't think he'll attack."

"Well, I think some of us have done that already." Latias replied, nodding in the direction of the Colosseum and Race track. As if on cue, Echo and Wiz came out of the Colosseum arguing.

"Air will always beat Earth in any race." Wiz said.

"No, Earth will beat Air because Earth is stronger." Echo countered.

"Fire is better than any other element." Heat came out of the Colosseum followed by the rest of the Generals.

"See what I mean?" Latias shook her head, and so did the other Mistresses.

"Maybe Justin gave up." Bane said as he, Nate, and Liber came out of the Colosseum.

"I highly doubt that." Nate replied. There was little chance that 'The One' would give up so easily.

"He hasn't done anything in nearly two weeks." Bane countered.

"I do believe someone once told me not to underestimate Justin." Celtic spoke up. She laughed at Bane's facial expression.

"I did say that, didn't I?" He laughed at himself.

"Oh, Celtic, relax. Justin's given up." Wiz said with a smug look on his face.

"And those who believe that will be in for a rude awakening." Joy answered. "The best thing we can do is to keep alert. If you think Justin has given up, you are sadly mistaken. We haven't even seen the worst of it yet."


	11. The Epic Battle

**The Epic Battle**

"Shadow, it's time to gether the armies." Justin said. He and The Lord of Sun and Shadow were standing around the strategy table. "I think we've waited long enough."

"Are you sure, my Leige? How can we be sure that their guard is down and lead a surprise attack?" Shadow questioned.

"Don't worry Losas, they're relaxed enough. They won't see it coming, nor will they be quick to respond." A figure emerged from the shadows.

"I'm glad to see you've decided which side to stand on, Blue." Justin greeted the man. Shadow's eyes were wide. "Any other information you'd like to share?"

"They're training, but are going to be taking a few days to rest. It would be best to strike while they're still tired from training so much." Blue replied. "I don't think they suspect any betrayal from me."

"Good, let us gather the armies. We attack at dawn." Justin said. Shadow nodded and left to gather the armies. "I think victory is in our future, Blue."

"Agreed. What will you do with them once victory is ours?" Blue asked curious as to what would become of those he betrayed.

"Certainly the Lords and Lady will have to be killed. I can't have them causing trouble. As for the Mistresses and their Generals... they may be of use to me." Justin thought. "Of course, I have my eye on one Mistress I hope to make my Queen."

"Which? If it's the Mistress of Fire and Cold you may have some comeptition." Blue responded thinking about how close Celtic and one of the Lords are. Anger and jealousy flared in Justin's eyes. "It seems she is very close with Sir Bane... he seems to be protective of her more so than her Generals are."

"I'll be sure to take care of him first." Justin growled. He was determined to have Celtic as his, one way or the other... but if he couldn't have her than nobody would.

"Should I return before they noticed I'm missing?" Blue asked.

"There's no need. This will be over tomorrow." Justin answered. They headed out of the throne room to make sure the armies were in order.

"I'm so sore." Bre complained a little. They'd been training non-stop for the past two weeks. They'd been taking it easy for a few days, though.

"Agreed." Joy and Latias nodded in agreement. "What are you thinking, Celt?" Joy looked over at Celtic who seemed to be staring off into the distance.

"I just have this feeling something is going to happen. Like someone has betrayed us... I don't know, I can't explain it..." Celtic looked at her friends.

"Excuse me, Ladies, have any of you seen Liber?" Robotron approached the group.

"I think he's in the Colosseum, Robo." Joy answered. "Are you sure, Celt, I mean to think that someone has betrayed us is..."

"Someone has betrayed us?" Echo came up to the group at the wrong end of the conversation. He asked loud enough that some of the others approached as well. Bane, Nate, and Dt made their way over when they noticed the large gathering.

"I said I have a feeling someone has... I can't explain it." Celtic said in defense. She'd been having strange feelings lately... almost like her intuition was getting stronger. "I don't know who. I don't know when. I don't even know if I'm right..."

"I think you might be right, Celt." The group looked at Dt. "I've been having that feeling, too. Something just doesn't feel right."

"But who?" Bane asked. He looked around the group and all seemed to be accounted for.

"Blue." Liber said as he and Robo approached the group. "Robo was out checking on the apprentices, liked I asked him to, when he noticed that Blue was heading in the direction of Justin's castle."

"Are you sure it was Blue?" Nate questioned, he never fathomed that Blue would betray them.

"He's the only one I know of who has a Cyclops dragon." Robo answered.

"What do we do?" Bre asked.

"Nothing. If he returns, we act as though nothing has changed. If we face him on the battle field..." Liber trailed off. He looked to the sky and noticed a dragon approaching.

"That's an Equinox dragon." Robo said as he noticed the dragon as well.

"Then that would be Shadow." Dt said as the group stood alert. "I have a feeling things are about to get interesting." Suddenly, a dark lightning bolt headed in their direction.

"Look out!" Robo shouted. The group managed to avoid a direct impact but were still knocked off their feet. "Is everyone alright?" He asked as the dusk began to settle.

"Yeah, I think so." Andy replied. They stood up and dusted themselves off. "I think this means Justin's ready to fight."

"Good. Enough of this sitting around and waiting." Heat said. Pickle and Echo nodded in agreement. Everyone except for Robo headed in the direction Shadow had gone.

"Hold your ground!" Shouts from Pickle, were heard across the plains even though he was standing closet to the river. "They mustn't get through our lines!" The enemy was fierce; evil, hatred, and fear feeding the army as they advanced closer and closer. Liber, Nate, and Bane fought alongside the Generals while the Mistresses were back behind the front lines. Seemingly protected, they controlled the elements and strengthened their respective armies without fear of attack. The Healers for each element stood just in front of the Mistresses.

"We must hold them…" Heat began to command his army when a deafening roar erupted from behind him. He knew that sound; he knew that dragon. He turned in time to see Claddagh, Celtic's Celtic dragon, take a blow meant for its mistress. Fear coursed through his veins as he looked at Frost. Frost's eyes mimicked Heat's… they knew that their Mistress was being targeted. "We stand! Give this fight all we've got! If the Mistresses fall, so will we!"

"Men and Dragons, keep this line strong and drive them away from our lands!" Lord Liber's voice rose above the sounds of the battle. It provided strength and pride to those who had begun to feel as though this was a lost cause. Grim and Andy, moved their armies forward, pushing back the most Western part of the enemies' line.

The Mistresses were continuing to provide strength to the armies through their elements. Without them, all hope would be lost. Celtic had watched her beloved dragon fall, but knew what must be done. She only relaxed a little when Claddagh stood seemingly unarmed… thanks to Poke and WK, her two healers. "To the East!" She shouted as she sensed a dark presence approach a weak spot in the defense. "Bre, strengthen the waters!"

"I'm on it!" The Water Mistress didn't care for taking orders; she knew what she had to do and would do it. "Lati, look above!" She cried out to the Air Mistress. A huge fireball was heading for the two Mistresses to the West. Latias tried to push it with a gust of wind only to have further fueled it. "Well, that didn't work." Bre said before focusing on the river once more.

"Maybe a cool down is what it needs." Celtic looked at Latias and they understood each other. Combining their elements of Cold and Air, the two Mistresses working together managed to thwart a devasting attack. "That was too close for comfort, right Lati?"

"That it was." Latias replied before returning her attention to the battle once more. "Is it just me or is Justin's army getting bigger?" They all noticed that the enemy did seem to be growing in number. "Is it time?"

Nate, Bane, and Liber exchanged looks. "Liber, maybe we should..." Nate started but was interrupted as an arrow flew past his face. "Well, that was rude."

"I'm not sure how much longer we can hold them." Joy said as the four Mistresses moved forward, joining the Lords in the midst of it all.

"Mistresses, get back." Liber said, knowing it was too dangerous for them to be this close to the battle. "We need you in the back; we need you safe."

"You need us in the fight. We are strong enough to fight and control the elements at the same time. You have to trust us, Liber." Celtic countered, knowing that if the four of them stayed out of the hand-to-hand combat there was no way all were walking away from this. "Besides, we're sitting ducks back there. Amongst the rest, it's harder for Justin to aim at us. You know that's what he's doing..."

"As much as you would like to argue this, Liber, I think we should worry more about the advancing army. Besides, Celtic's right, they are easy targets back there." Bane spoke up. He didn't like the idea of the Mistresses fighting anymore than Liber did, but it was something that had to be done.

"Alright, but stay close to the Generals or to us." Liber said in defeat. It wasn't a fight he wanted to deal with right now. "Let's wait on the reinforcements for now though." The others nodded and went into the battle with swords drawn and a renewed sense of strength.

"So, we meet on the battle field, Sir Bane." Blue said as he faced-off with Bane. Celtic was not too far from them. She knew that Bane was an excellent archer, the best in the kingdom, but as for hand-to-hand combat, close range fighting... well, she knew it wasn't his strength. "Justin will be glad to have you rid of. One less hurdle in what he wants." Blue drew his sword back ready strike a death blow.

"Not if I can help it!" Celtic said as she blocked the attack with her sword.

"I can handle this, Celtic." Bane said as he tried to pull her out of the fight with Blue. It was no use and he decided his best bet was to protect her from any other attacks while she was fighting.

"Fiesty, aren't you?" Blue grinned. "Justin will like that." He got ready to attack again but it was again deflected. "I have my orders to follow: bring you to Justin, or kill you. It's your choice, Mistress."

"I have choice and it's not either of those." Celtic said as her sword was engulfed in flames. "I am the Mistress of Fire and Cold. I fight for and defend the good. Those who threaten that will feel the burn." With that, Celtic struck Blue with a force he wasn't expecting. He did not have time to counter and he fell to his knees. Blood poured from his chest, the fire had burned through his armor leaving flesh exposed to the sharp blade. Celtic stood ready to strike again, but instead watched the life drain from his eyes as he fell to the ground. She didn't have time to think as the enemy's army continued to strengthen, but she still found herself being pulled from the spot.

"Come on!" Bane had grabbed her by the arm and was pulling her with him as he ran towards the others. She snapped out of her trance and ran with him. She would have to deal with what just happened later. Bane glanced at Celtic. He saw the shift in her eyes when she dealt the death-blow. It was like she had become another person; someone stronger than anyone he knew. He thought he saw her pendant glow in a cycle of the eight elements. He shook those thoughts from his mind. Now as he looked at her, he saw something different; something broken. He remembered that she had never killed before...

"Liber, we're losing this!" Heat said. He looked at Celtic and Bane who had just joined them. He noticed that Celtic looked off, like something big had just happened.

"Call for them." Celtic said in a calm voice. Everyone looked at her. "We can't win this without them." Liber nodded. He knew she was right. He motioned for a Sonic dragon to fly back and alert the three and four element dragons that their assistance was needed. They moved back into fighting position even before their reinforcements arrived. Celtic was standing close to the Lords, she knew she had to do something, there seemed to be little hope that they would even hold off the advancing army until the other dragons arrived. Sheathing her sword she approached Liber. Claddagh followed, protecting her mistress and whatever Lord she was near.

"Celtic, what are you doing? Fight!" Liber shouted, but before he could strike another attacker, Celtic touched his war glaive. It began to glow with the colors of the eight elements. "What the...?"

"With this, you now wield the power of all eight elements. It will know which element to use." Celtic said before turning her attention to Nate. With a clean sweep of her tail, Claddagh cleared a path leading to the next Lord. Celtic drew her sword and attacked a knight approaching from the side. She didn't stop to make sure he was dead. She was on a mission and nothing would stop her.

"Celtic, are you insane?! What the heck are you doing?!" Nate shouted and then finally noticed that she was in a trance-like state. "This is just great!" He grunted as he sliced through enemy ranks as they tried to attack her. "Snap out of it!"

Celtic touched Nate's katana and it reacted just like Liber's war glaive. "Now you can wield the power of all eight elements. It will know which element to use." Before Nate could respond, Celtic moved to the last of the Lords. "Archer,... ahhhh!" Before she could reach out to touch Bane's bow a metal shard struck her face. Instinctually, she pressed a hand to the wound. She could feel the warm blood running down her cheek.

"Celtic!" Bane ran towards her; Frost wasn't far behind. "Let me take a look." He pulled her hand away from her face. "You need to have that taken care of."

"No. I'm fine." Celtic said, she refused to stop what she needed to do. She reached out to touch Bane's bow but Frost grabbed her wrist.

"No, you're not." Frost said sternly. "Get that taken care of now." Celtic pulled out of his hold and touched the bow. It glowed the same as the other two.

"I'm fine." Celtic answered. She wiped as much of the blood away as she could and then drew her sword. "Archer, you can now wield all eight elements with that bow. It will know which arrow to use. You will never have need of a quiver again. The power is yours." She smiled a little and then turned back to the fight.

Shouts of joy and relief were heard when the three and four element dragons landed and strengthened the weaking army. The enemy stopped for a moment, realizing that victory was no longer as easy as they thought. The battle turned in favor of good and it was eventually acknowledged that Justin could not win. The victory he was so sure of a few days before was now gone. He threw down his sword; his followers did the same. "Do you surrender?" Liber asked. Bane and Nate flanked his sides as the Mistresses and their Generals were slightly behind.

"I have no other choice." Justin said.

"I will show you mercy this once. I exile you from the land, however, if you ever step foot in this kingdom again you will die." Liber proclaimed. "You and your followers are, from here on out, exiled. The same consequences apply to them. If I see your face again, do not expect the same mercy."

As Justin and his men turned and flew out of sight, everyone looked around the battlefield. Celtic found herself staring at the spot where Blue lay. "I feel a little guilty... he was a friend." Tears pricked her eyes. Bane squeezed her shoulder and she leaned into him. Exhaustion beginning to take hold.

"Don't." Liber replied. His face grim; it pained him to think that a dear friend could betray them.

"He was no longer a friend on the battle field. That changed the moment he decided what side to stand on." Andy added. The others nodded in agreement.

"Now let's get that cut looked at." Frost looked at Celtic. The crescent shaped wound had stopped bleeding but it looked deep. She nodded. She refused to have it healed completely though... she wanted the scar; she wanted the reminder.


	12. It's Over

**It's Over...**

"Justin's threat is over." Liber said. He looked around the room. He could tell that everyone was worn out but now they could rest easy knowing that peace had been restored.

"At least for now." Joy replied. She wasn't sure about the rest of her friends, but she was ready to go home. "If he does try something again, we'll be ready."

"Let's hope that he's learned a lesson... I'd rather not have to go through this again." Bre said. She was more than happy to return home and take things easy.

"Yeah, this hasn't been the best way to get to know each other." Grim stated. He would miss everyone, but, like Joy, he was ready to return to his old routine.

As the conversation continued, Celtic noticed Heat leave the room. After making eye contact with Frost, she followed. "Heat?"

"Hey, Celty." Heat didn't look at her. He had been thinking a lot about some things and had come to a decision that probably would not go over well with Celtic and Frost.

"What's up?" Celtic knew something was bothering the General of Fire. "You've been distant lately..."

"I'm leaving." He blurted out. He took off the necklace and handed it to Celtic. "I can no longer pretend. I need to get away for a while, maybe forever... I need to experience something new and different." He climbed onto Pendragon and took off.

Celtic looked at the pendant in her hand and then headed back inside. She walked over to Frost and whispered, "It looks like we need a new Fire General."

"Are you serious?!" Frost replied louder than he had meant. The room went silent and everyone turned their attention to the two.

"What's going on?" Nate spoke up.

"We're one General short." Celtic answered, clutching the fire pendant tightly in her hand. "Heat left..." She was still in shock.

"Did he say why?" Echo asked. "Was this something he'd been talking about or was it sudden?"

"He had mentioned the idea once or twice before, but I didn't really think anything of it." Frost wasn't sure what to say. He hadn't expected Heat to leave the way he had.

"At least the dragons won't be ignored. Being Fire and Cold, I can make sure that Aiden and the others are taken care of." Celtic thought for a minute. "Not sure what will happen if Justin ever tries anything again, though."

"We'll deal with that when it happens." Dt said knowing that if Justin, or anyone else, were to threaten their peace again, they would pull together once more.

They disbanded into smaller groups. Even though they were all tired, no one seemed to want to leave. The conversations stayed light but Celtic still found herself outside with Claddagh and Arbor. "How are you holding up?" She jumped a little at Bane's voice. "Sorry."

"Don't be; you just startled me, that's all. I guess I was lost in my own thoughts and didn't hear you approach." Celtic petted Claddagh on the neck, insighting a low purr-like sound from the dragon. "I've been better... been worse too, though."

"Yeah, you took a few hits during the battle." He gently traced the cut around her eye. She winced a little. "Sorry... again."

"It looks worse than it feels, I'm sure." She almost regretted not allowing WK to heal her completely.

"Are you okay with what happened?" He wasn't sure how to word the question.

"With Blue?" Bane nodded. "I guess... but how do you deal with killing someone? How do you not close your eyes and picture the life draining from theirs?" A tear ran down her cheek. She squeezed her eyes shut and hung her head. She felt him pull her into him. She released all of the tension, fear, and guilt. After a moment, she took a deep breath and stepped back. She wiped away the tears and looked up at Bane. "I'll be okay." She answered the concern in his eyes.

"What are your plans now?" Bane asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

"Back home, I guess. I have a lot more dragons to care for now." Celtic thought for a moment. Claddagh pushed Celtic enough to cause her to lose balance.

"Woah, are you sure you're alright?" Bane asked as he steadied her.

"Yes, can't say the same about Claddagh though." A smile tugged at her lips when she thought about what her dragon tried to do. She stepped back and shook a fleeting thought from her mind.

"Okay, why is everyone gathered around the window?" Liber asked when he noticed Andy, Frost, and a few others huddled around one of the windows. "Oh." He said as he noticed who was outside. A teasing look flashed in his eyes.

"Those two seem rather close, don't they." Wiz said as he approached the group.

"Yep." Andy and Frost exchanged a look. They all scattered when they noticed the pair making their way back inside.

"Well, that was a bit awkward." The group had not gone unnoticed by Celtic. "They really have nothing better to do than spy?"

"Hmm?" Bane looked at the window and then at Celtic. "I didn't notice."

"Lost in your thoughts again?" Celtic laughed.

"Must have been." A smiled pulled at his lips; he often found himself lost in his thoughts.

"So, Celtic, what's up with you and Bane?" Andy asked as he, Frost, and Celtic made their way to their rooms.

"Absolutely nothing, other than the fact that we are friends." She answered. "Though, I could ask you the same about Lati..." She pointed a glare at the Metal General.

"The same could be said about that." Andy replied sheepishly. They said good night and then wondered what tomorrow would bring.


	13. Changes

**Changes**  
>Morning came and with it an unexpected guest. "You have some nerve showing your face around here." Echo spat when he noticed a man standing in the banquet hall.<p>

"I thought you were exiled along with your followers?" Andy said as more people filled the hall. The Mistresses were standing with their Generals.

"Now hear me out..." Justin started to say something when Liber entered, followed by Bane, Nate, Dt, and Robo.

"I exiled you!" Liber said with anger thick in his voice.

"And I believe that it was death if he ever returned." Bre added.

"Leave now or face the consequences." Liber was giving Justin one more chance to leave.

"Liber, we were friends once. We used to be like brothers..." Justin tried.

"Not anymore. You couldn't stand being second. You broke that bond the moment you threathened everything we built. Did you think I would let you off so easily?"

"Maybe you need a new General?" Justin looked at Celtic when he spoke, he had noticed that there was a General missing.

"It won't be you." The Mistress of Fire and Cold replied without hesitation.

"I won't repeat myself again. Leave now or you will face the consequences." Liber said. Justin threw up his hands in defeat.

"If you change your mind about needing a General..." Justin said as he passed Celtic. "Or if you change your mind about my other offer."

"Alright, move." Bane stepped forward. Justin left; Robo and Nate made sure he left the island.

"Well, that escalated quickly." Wiz tried to lighten the mood. It didn't really work.

"What did he mean by 'other offer'?" Bane asked Celtic as they sat down for breakfast.

"An implied offer he made while Joy and I were trying to steal back the crystals." She answered, not really wanting to go into too much detail.

"That explains a lot." Frost rolled his eyes as he muttered something else that was inaudiable.

"Does it really matter?" Celtic excused herself from the table. She made her way to Claddagh.

"You okay?" Andy followed.

"Yeah, I'm just ready to go home." She half lied, but Andy caught on.

"What's bugging you?" He asked. Frost made his way to them. "Does it have to do with Justin or Heat?"

"It has a lot to do with that... and other things." She paused as she watched Bre and her Generals head home. Joy motioned for Andy to join her and Grim.

"I'm not sure I want to go home." Andy said when he noticed. As if a sign, his necklace slid to the ground. The three looked down at it. "Well... that was odd." He said as he picked it up.

"Maybe we should go ask Argyos or Dt what that's supposed to mean..." Celtic suggested. They went to do just that.

"Andy, your element has changed." Argyos said. "I can't explain why though."

"Changed? To what?" Andy asked.

"Fire." Celtic answered before anyone else could speculate. She handed him the necklace.

"There's no precedent for this happening. I'm not sure how the dragons will react." Dt said after the Fire pendant reacted to Andy.

"We'll take things as they come." Andy said. He handed the Metal pendant to Joy when she and Grim entered the room.

"Now it looks like I'm the one without a General." Joy wasn't sure what to make of this.

"Maybe not..." Celtic said as she looked out the window.

"What do you mean, Celt?" Dt asked.

"Well, does the General have to be male?" Celtic pointed out the window. "There's a woman outside talking with Nate and Bane..."

"So?" Frost asked impatiently.

"So... she was riding on an Electrum dragon. It's possible she could be the new General of Metal." Celtic finished and then looked at Dt and Argyos.

"Celt, how is it that you know this stuff." Dt asked as she was starting to notice some things. She had heard the Lords' telling of the battle and noticed that maybe Celtic was more unique than they all had thought.

"I don't know how... I just have a feeling." Celtic wasn't sure what Dt was getting at. Before Dt could say anything else, Liber, Nate, Bane, and the newcomer entered the room.

"Ellie, let me introduce you to some people." Liber proceeded to introduce the woman to those in the room.

"Unfortunately, the Mistress of Water and Lighting, along with her Generals, headed home already." Nate said. "Where's the other three though?"

"I think Latias went back to bed. I believe Wiz and Echo are around the side arguing about something." Dt answered.

"It's nice to meet you all. I was flying around on Voltage and noticed that there where a lot of epic dragons in the fields." Ellie said. "I was hoping to get a chance to sketch some of them."

"Joy, hand Ellie the necklace." Celtic blurted. The three Lords looked confused. Joy, hesitantly, handed the necklace to the woman. "If this reacts like I think it will... welcome to a different way of life than you've known."

"Wait. What's going...?" Nate couldn't finish his question before the pendant reacted to Ellie. "A female General?"

"What happened to Andy?" Bane was confused, as were Nate and Liber.

"My element changed." Andy spoke. "I guess we are no longer missing any Generals."

"Well, this shouldn't surprise me." Argyos said, mostly to himself. "I mean, I've never heard or read of a General changing elements so I guess it shouldn't come as a shock to have a female General."

"A female General?" Echo and Wiz entered the room. Everyone welcomed Ellie to the "family".

"Excuse me." Celtic excused herself from the room and headed outside. Bane and Dt followed.

"Are you alright, Celt?" Dt asked. She noticed that Celtic looked a little flushed.

"Yeah, I just needed some air." Celtic smiled weakly. A sudden wave of dizziness hit her and she faultered.

" Woah! Maybe you should sit down?" Bane suggested as he steadied her.

"Probably a good idea." Celtic agreed, gladly leaning on Bane for support until she found a rock to sit on. "I'm just dizzy all of a sudden."

"Hmm..." Dt thought for a minute. Bane stood close to Celtic and looked over at Dt.

"What are you thinking?" He asked. Liber and Nate soon joined them.

"Is everything alright?" Liber asked.

"I think Celtic is starting to develop the ability to control all eight elements." Dt replied. Four pairs of eyes grew wide.

"What?" Nate asked and then thought for a moment. "That would explain what happened with our weapons."

"Control all eight elements? Me?" Celtic didn't want to think about the possibility, but it did seem to explain a lot.

"It's very possible... and it would explain a lot." Bane stated. He looked at Celtic who was trying to process everything.

"Celt, I'd like for you to come..." Dt started.

"No!" Celtic slid off the rock, landing on shaky legs. Bane reached out to steady her but she moved away. "I want the chance to live as normal a life as I can. No more training; no more practicing. Now that peace has been restored, I don't want to think about being a 'Mistress of the Elements'." She took a deep breath. "Maybe if something happens... maybe if someone threatens us again... but not now. I won't fight this change, if that's what this is, but I want a normal life again."

"But..."

"She's right, Dt." Liber interupted. "As much as we'd like to see this power develop, we can't make her. The power will develop on it's own; there's no stopping it, but I think for now, we need to let them all get back to a semi-normal life." Dt nodded in understanding and then headed back inside. Liber and Nate followed.

"So... I guess this means you'll be heading home?" Bane asked Celtic. They walked toward their dragons.

"Yeah, I guess it does." Celtic leaned against Claddagh and looked over at Bane. He wasn't looking at her but was petting his dragon, Arbor. "But not 'good-bye'."

He looked at her. "No?" He took a step towards her.

"I refuse to say 'good-bye'." She felt the sting of tears as she thought about what to say (and what not to say). "We'll see each other again, Sir Bane."

"You believe that?" Bane smiled a little. He and Celtic had seemed to have formed a friendship almost immediately. He was sad that they wouldn't see each other on a daily basis anymore.

"We'll see each other again." Celtic took a step toward him. "Here, I made this for you. A token of our friendship." She handed him a simple brown leather bracelet. Burned into it was an intricate knotwork design with arrows weaved in.

"Thank you." He took the gift. Before he could say anything else, she kissed him on the cheek. Before he could react, she was on Claddagh.

"I'll be seeing you, Archer." Celtic laughed a little. "But for now... 'May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind always be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.'" With that Celtic, Andy, and Frost took to the sky. [A/N: A traditional Irish blessing]

Liber and Robo watched as the remaining members of their "family" headed home. "It will be good for this island to be quiet again." Robo said.

"Yes, but I have a feeling that you will come to miss them being here." Liber squeezed Robo's shoulder and they headed inside.

Bane stood next to Arbor, facing in the direction of home. "Well, Arbor, it looks like it's time to head home. Time to return to a life a little less chaotic."


End file.
